RSS 1.0Molecular Microbiology and Immunology electronic theses and dissertations (MU)
The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Columbia. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Chimeric Thrombomodulin and CD47 proteins synergistically improve the engraftment of islets by mitigating IBMIR
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)[EMBARGOED UNTIL 5/1/2024] The main aim of this dissertation was to display novel immunological ligands, Thrombomodulin (TM) and CD47, on the surface of islets to promote islet engraftment by controlling thrombotic/inflammatory ... -
The multiple roles of FzlA during cell division and stress responses in Agrobacterium tumefaciens
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)[EMBARGOED UNTIL 5/1/2024] Disruption of the complex and dynamic process of bacterial cell division results in cellular changes to protect the cells from lysis. In the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens, absence of ... -
Persistence of plague : determining which environmental factors contribute to maintenance of Yersinia pestis within sylvatic cycles
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)[EMBARGOED UNTIL 5/1/2024] Plague is a prioritized zoonotic disease caused by Yersinia pestis, a gram-negative bacterium. Sylvatic cycles of rodent host and flea vectors have established endemic foci responsible for the ... -
Proposed characterization of POSH function in human T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive malignancy that is characterized by leukemic T-cells that can express reduced T-cell markers (such as CD5, CD4, or CD8) reflecting their transformation from an ... -
Mechanisms of inflammation resolution in a murine model of Lyme arthritis
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)In some patients, Lyme arthritis persists despite antibiotic clearance of Borrelia burgdorferi, indicating an underlying defect in inflammation resolution mechanisms. In the murine model of Lyme arthritis (mLA), B. burgdorferi ... -
Evaluation of calcium handling and dwarf open reading frame AAV gene therapy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2022)[EMBARGOED UNTIL 8/1/2023] Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle wasting disease. Increased concentrations of cytosolic calcium in dystrophic muscle cells has been implicated in DMD pathogenesis. In ... -
Understanding the role of Coxiella outer membrane protein-1 in relation to the Type IVB Secretion system of Coxiella burnetii
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2022)Obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens, like Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q Fever, rely upon the host for metabolites and carbon sources for energy and biosynthesis of nucleic acids, proteins, and energy ... -
Understanding the insect immune responses to Yersinia pestis using Drosophila melanogaster
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2022)Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, continues to be transmitted in many different continents, most often by fleas. Despite knowing for a century that Y. pestis can form a biofilm on the flea's proventriculus ... -
Maintenance of relational bindings: working memory or long-term memory?
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2022)[EMBARGOED UNTIL 5/31/2023] While there has been a wealth of research examining the effects of feature binding in working memory (WM), it remains unclear how relational bindings (pairings of items, or of an item to its ... -
Yersinia pestis YopJ and its impact on innate immunity
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2022)Yersinia pestis is one of the most virulent pathogens known to man, with the most impactful epidemics in human history. As the causative agent for the plague, Y. pestis has demonstrated its propensity to ravage through ... -
Influenza virus strategies to regulate S1P-metabolizing enzymes and evade host innate immunity for robust viral replication
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2021)Viral infection is a complex network of interactions involving the host defending itself against the virus and the virus attempting to subdue host defenses and utilize the cellular machinery to promote its replication. ... -
Refinement of an established large-animal model to understand the tick-pathogen-host interface
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2021)Ticks are globally distributed vectors of important pathogens of human and animal health. Since the discovery of tick resistance in 1918, the field has sought continuously for the development of effective biologic control ... -
Inhibition and comprehensive analysis of hiv-1 vpu, examination of retroviral trafficking, and characterization of sars-cov-2 genetic material in wastewater
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2021)Both HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 have been responsible for millions of infectionrelated deaths. Despite advances in treatment for both viruses, neither has a cure, and those living with the disease can unknowingly spread the ... -
Novel mouse models for spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type I : characterizing disease relevant models and evaluating therapeutic potential
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2021)Spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type I (SMARD1) is a rare neurodegenerative disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in the immunoglobulin µ-DNA binding protein 2 (IGHMBP2). SMARD1 is defined by severe ... -
The influence of type II cytokines in central tolerance
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2021)While the genetic elements of many autoimmune conditions have been established, many environmental factors remain a mystery. Exposure to certain infections has been implicated as a possible explanation for the significantly ... -
Virus interactions with the sphingolipid network : sphingosine kinase 2 in immunosuppression, immunopathology, and viral propagation
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2020)Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid molecule known to regulate diverse cellular functions. S1P is metabolized by the sphingosine kinases (SphK) and S1P lyase (SPL). However, little is known about the role ... -
Establishing the posh scaffold as a novel therapeutic target for treatment of B cell leukemia
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2020)[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] More than 60,000 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year. B cells comprise 10 [percent] of acute lymphoblastic leukemias ... -
Comparative study of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 and type 2 single and dual infections
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2020)Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) type 1 and type 2 are two related lentiviruses that have strikingly divergent features in terms of transmission rates, distribution, pathogenesis, and clinical outcomes. In places where ... -
Interactions between helicobacter-induced inflammation acute changes in the gut microbiota, and colorectal cancer in Smad3-/- mice
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2020)[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI--COLUMBIA AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, accounting for 551,269 deaths in 2018 alone. One ... -
Investigating the deleterious role of B lymphocytes during brucella infection
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2020)[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI--COLUMBIA AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Brucellosis is a disease known for inducing chronic, often life-long, infections. While it is clear the host immune response fails to clear ...